The suspect identified as Lawal Olaniyi Babafemi,aka "Abdullah" or "Ayatollah Mustapha", is allegedto be a member of Al-Qaeda in the ArabianPeninsula (AQAP) and has been indicted on fourcharges in the United States, including supporting aforeign terrorist group.

The 33-year-old is a citizen of Nigeria, where he iscurrently in custody, the court documents say. Ahearing has been set in federal high court in theNigerian capital Abuja for August 28.

According to the documents, Babafemi traveled toYemen between January 2010 and August 2011 totrain with the Al-Qaeda group as well as to seek outsenior members Anwar al-Awlaqi and Samir Khan.

Yemeni-born American radical cleric al-Awlaqi aswell as Khan have since been killed in a drone strike.In interviews with FBI agents, "Babafemi admittedtraveling to Yemen," the court documents say.

They add that he said "AQAP members gave him …approximately $8,600 in order to return to Nigeriaand recruit English-speaking individuals to work inAQAP's English-language media operation."

The four charges against him in the United Statesinclude conspiracy to provide material support to aforeign terrorist organisation and unlawful use offirearms. The documents say he received firearmstraining.

The indictment was filed in the United States onFebruary 21 in the US district court in the easterndistrict of New York.

Court documents do not say how long Babafemihad been in Nigeria before his arrest.

Local media reported that he had fled to Nigeriawhen he learned of the arrest warrant against himin the United States, but the information could notbe confirmed.

It would not be the first time a Nigerian has beenaccused of acting on behalf of AQAP.

"Underwear bomber" Umar Farouk Abdulmutallabhas been sentenced to life in prison in the UnitedStates over his failed attempt to blow up an airlineron Christmas Day 2009. Abdulmutallab traveled to Yemen in 2009 and met with al-Awlaqi.

There was no indication in the documents thatBabafemi was linked to Nigerian extremistgroup Boko Haram, which has been waging adeadly insurgency mainly in the country's north.